<!DOCTYPE html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<title>Raised from Perdition by 4million_HungryBears</title>
<style type="text/css">

body { background-color: #ffffff; }
.CI {
text-align:center;
margin-top:0px;
margin-bottom:0px;
padding:0px;
}
.center   {text-align: center;}
.cover    {text-align: center;}
.full     {width: 100%; }
.quarter  {width: 25%; }
.smcap    {font-variant: small-caps;}
.u        {text-decoration: underline;}
.bold     {font-weight: bold;}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27457258">Raised from Perdition</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/4million_HungryBears/pseuds/4million_HungryBears'>4million_HungryBears</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Supernatural</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>15x18 spoilers, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Castiel Loves Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester First Kiss, Chuck is Dead(probably), Crying Castiel, Crying Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester In Love, Dean Winchester Says "I Love You", Hurt Castiel (Supernatural), M/M, Of course Dean would rescue Cas, Post-Canon, Post-Canon Fix-It, Protective Dean Winchester, The Empty is a jerk, Whump</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-11-08</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 17:09:10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,140</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27457258</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/4million_HungryBears/pseuds/4million_HungryBears</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Castiel willingly gives himself to the empty as long as one thing remains.... Dean Winchester is saved. What he never expected was for Dean to come for him.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Castiel &amp; Dean Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>8</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>316</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Raised from Perdition</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>(I do not own any of theses places or characters. All of it is purely owned and inspired by by Supernatural)<br/>This is basically me writing an eventual happy ending having just watched 15x18. If they don't get Castiel back somehow, I will ignore whatever the spn writers have given me and this will be my new personal canon ending.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>He had done it. He had left this world, a smile on his face, fully content in the fact that he had done it. </p><p>Dean Winchester was saved. </p><p>Black sludge had spilled from the walls, wrapped around his throat, and pulled him into darkness, but the fact of the matter remained the same.</p><p>Dean Winchester was saved. </p><p>It didn't matter if he had poured his heart out, it didn't matter if he could never have him, it didn't matter if it felt like his whole body surged with terror at the thought of never seeing him again. He would go out with a smile, his purpose complete. </p><p>Dean Winchester was saved. </p><p>And for Castiel, he had expected that to be his last moment, perhaps the only moment of true happiness. Upwards and onwards into an eternity of darkness. </p><p>God, this was it wasn't it. </p><p>Nothing to fight against anymore. Just the dark. </p><p>Pulled into nothing for eternity. </p><p>"Now, let's see where we can get started." It said, a certain smugness in its expression. It had taken his own form again, the voice spilling out the nose, and ringing in his ears, so much unlike his own. </p><p>Along with dragging him from the world, it had taken Death with it too. She had been thrown somewhere so far into the black that Castiel knew he'd never see her again. She was screaming. He couldn't hear it per say but it was there. And it was always going to be there.</p><p>That's when he felt the first stab. Something sharp pierced into his entire being and he shrieked, coiling up, trying to protect himself. </p><p>It wouldn't matter though. The black oozed around his hands and feet pulling him outwards. Nothing to protect him anymore. </p><p>Then he felt something different. A new, scorching, burning, wriggling through his veins. Castiel writhed in the blackness holding him down. Sharp stabs began to pierce through him. Always in a new, different place then the last one. And it just didn't stop. It happened over and over again. An angry burning all over his body, then a brief numbness, then the sharpness ripping through him, sending him into gasping screams all over again.</p><p>It did subside eventually. The empty leaned over him still wearing his face. </p><p>"You're a fool you know. Sacrificing yourself that way. You'll be here with me, in pain for all eternity. What was the point?" </p><p>"The point was," Castiel grunted, forcing his voice to speak through the wheezing pain. "Dean Winchester was saved. From Billie, from you. Even if he never loved me, I have enough faith in him that by saving him, I have saved the world."</p><p>"AHAHAHAHAAA!" The empty laughed, dry, and nasally. "Well, well, well. Isn't that just interesting considering that during our... appointment together, god, Chuck, went and destroyed every single little insignificant human on earth." </p><p>Castiel mouth dropped open. He shook his head. Had it all been for nothing? Had god killed Dean?</p><p>"No," horror filled his lungs as tears started to pour from his eyes. </p><p>"Oh don't be do dramatic," a sharp point nudged into Castiel's side, the anticipation of further pain making him gasp. "You're boyfriend is fine. Though, considering, that God's plan involved giving you to me, I don't think whatever he has in mind for Dean will be as... pleasant." </p><p>The burning flared up over Castiel's entire body making him scream. The empty's smile turned into a grimace and it slapped it hands over its ears. </p><p>"SHUT! UP!" The empty roared. It quickly threw a hand at Castiel's throat and all at once Castiel felt a horrible tearing. There was no blood, no sudden hole or wound, just immense pain.</p><p>And as he began to scream again, it cut off. He choked as he felt through his entire body like he had broken his own voice, like a knife had been dragged through his vocal chords, ripping and shredding them to pieces while he just lay there, gasping and wheezing in an absence of voice. </p><p>The empty smiled at him and leaning forward, making Castiel shudder.<br/>
"Oh and just if you wanted to know." It whispered. "You're whole 'unrequited love'<br/>
speech was very cute. Especially since it wasn't so 'unrequited'. It's funny to me but... had you told him earlier you might have been able to spend some time with him."</p><p>Castiel swallowed, a dry sob escaping his raw throat. His whole chest hurt, not just from whatever the empty was serving but from the knowledge. About how it might have been easier if he hadn't been so oblivious. If he'd just taken the time to say something sooner. And now Dean was alone, and blaming himself, and Chuck would destroy them. </p><p>The empty chuckled. "Though, I do suppose that would have lessened the impact of your big exit. Way to go out with a bang. But, it is nice to leave him in the knowledge that your death.... was all his fault. Billie would have died on her own had he just left well enough alone, and you would still be alive. Go figure."</p><p>Castiel's whole body shook. His heart pounded, and dry, raw sobs came out with every breath. It was all flooding back to him. The dreams he'd dreamed about the life he could've had. Dreams he'd taken and stuffed so far down, only to look at them in the darkest of times, to wish, to hope, but to keep far enough away that they would never truly hurt him. All of that was pointless now. All the could-be's stood front and center, knowing that it might have been possible. </p><p>Fire scorched his veins again and Castiel jerked and screeched, gasping and raspy. An impossibly large smile ripped through the empty's stolen face. </p><p>__________________</p><p>The empty had grown tired eventually. Not all the time, but sometimes it would leave him alone. </p><p>It had become a sort of pattern. The empty would come, take out it's tired anger on enjoying watching Castiel suffer, then it would throw him into the black, where he would spend the rest of his time reliving his greatest regrets over and over again.</p><p>Lucifer showed up in a lot of them. Having said yes to him was really something that still bothered him immensely. Because of that one decision, he had caused many problems in the future, including Jack's death for the first time. </p><p>Another was having betrayed Sam and Dean for Crowley and the souls in purgatory. Whatever he had been doing it for seemed so pointless now, and he had caused so many deaths because of it. </p><p>Other things would come up, trusting Metatron, trusting Chuck, ..... Naomi.</p><p>Castiel had to experience that one again once. He should have fought better, fought for Dean. Every time, he had looked so terrified, so hurt and betrayed. He had probably fought hard before, killing him over and over again, he knew he would have done anything to avoid that. But it still felt like he didn't do enough. </p><p>Then there was of course his greatest regret. Why hadn't he told him sooner? </p><p>Sometimes, the empty would use that. It would appear as Dean, maybe just to hurt him more, to get a greater reaction. He could always tell it wasn't Dean though, something in the eyes and the way the empty smiled while wearing his face. It was so unnervingly un-Dean like it would often completely repulse him. </p><p>Castiel had been sitting in the dark for a while now. Watching the way he had let Jack's grace get stolen by Lucifer, and how he had let Michael take Dean. It should be soon now. The empty would come, hurt him, and then throw him back into the abyss. </p><p>There was a muffled sound now, someone calling his name.</p><p>"Cas? Cas!" </p><p>The empty had chosen Dean's form again. Castiel began mentally preparing himself for the worst today. </p><p>"Cas! CAS." Castiel felt himself lift, the inky blackness sliding off him. This was normal, this is what happened every-time, but something felt... off. It was too peaceful... too silent.</p><p>"Cas, oh god Cas!" He felt a hand on his shoulder, and he flinched away expecting the pain to come with it. He turned around, waiting to see the familiar expression of the empty. </p><p>It was the empty, wasn't it? But the eyes were wrong, the smile was wrong and why did it feel so.... real this time? Had it finally perfected it? Was this another trick?</p><p>"Cas it's me. Oh god you're ok. I found you, you're ok!" There were tears streaming from its eyes. His eyes maybe?</p><p>"Dean?" Cas asked hesitantly. His voice was still raw, barely a whisper anymore. </p><p>He nodded, a smile spreading across his face. The familiar kind, the good kind.</p><p>"Yeah it's me." He said, his voice shaking. Dean held out open arms, waiting for Cas to come closer, but not entirely sure what Cas would do. "Sorry it took us so long."</p><p>Cas breathed. Then he broke. He rushed into Deans arms, pulling him closer, like he couldn't quite fully believe he was there. Like he would disappear at a moment notice. But he was here and he was real.</p><p>"What are you doing here?" Castiel's voice could barely create the words between the sobs and the rawness of his throat, but Dean seemed to get the meaning. </p><p>"We're rescuing you, you idiot. You'd think I'd get an opportunity to grip you tight and raise you from perdition and not take it??" </p><p>Cas sobbed even further at that, leaning himself into Dean's jacket, the same one he wore when he had left him. The bloody handprint mostly faded but still there. </p><p>"Wh- wha- *hic* how.... there's no- it's-... it's g- g-." Cas couldn't feel the empty anymore, yes it was all around him, but the consciousness within it had seemingly disappeared. </p><p>"If you're asking how we got you out... we uh... we made a deal." </p><p>Castiel's heart sank with terror. He clutched at Dean tighter, his breathing becoming ragged and panicky.</p><p>"No, no, not like that." Dean lifted Cas's face to look him in the eyes. There was a twinkle in Deans expression. </p><p>"Look we made a trade. Your life in exchange for the empty to go back to sleep."</p><p>Cas furrowed his brow, clearly confused.</p><p>"Yes, we did happen to find a way to put the empty back to sleep. Rowena down in hell helped out of course, and Jack and Sam. And Michael too, actually it was mostly Adam convincing Michael but it worked out ok."</p><p>Castiel laughed, which, actually from the hoarse quietness of it all Dean would've probably mistaken that for a sob, which he still kinda was.</p><p>"Hey, we did it." Dean whispered onto Cas's shoulder. "We beat Chuck. He's gone, he's finally gone."</p><p>Castiel nodded, which was the only thing he could do for fear of truly spilling over. </p><p>"And it's you! It's really finally you! And you-... you were my first priority you know but we, well.... anyways." </p><p>Dean leaned in, resting a hand on either side of Cas's face. </p><p>"Cas?" </p><p>"Yeah?" Cas said, still quite. </p><p>"Please, don't ever think for a second that you can't have me. I had always... I always wanted to.... things always got in the way and I never thought.... I never thought anyone could love me as much as you do. So don't ever believe that you're love was unrequited because it's not. I love you too, Cas." </p><p>Castiel's body shook with sobs again. Dean leaned in closer, pressing a light kiss on the corner of Castiel's mouth. </p><p>Oh Cas couldn't stand it. He grabbed Dean by the lapels, pouring everything into it as he slammed every desperate feeling of pure unending love into this kiss. </p><p>They both melted into it, feeling the warmth of each other, secure in the knowledge that both of them were loved. </p><p>They broke eventually, unrestrained smiles forming in both their faces.</p><p>"Let's go. Sam and Jack are waiting for us back at home." Dean said, breathless, almost giddy with joy. And with that Dean threaded his fingers into Cas's, raising him from out of the dark.</p><p>_______________</p><p>It would take many months before Castiel stopped having nightmares where black sludge would flood from everywhere, taking everything he loved and drowning him with it. It would take many months for him to not feel horribly uneasy in the dark. It might even take years for him to fully get over everything that had happened, maybe he'd never get over it. </p><p>But as long as Dean was there to tell him its alright, to light the lights in the dark, to be there right beside him in the night when Castiel would wake up in a panic, he knew that everything was ok.</p><p>For once, everything was ok.</p>
  </div></div>
</body>
</html>